Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior Review

With a price tag of £349 for the tandem package, the Fitty Jogger falls towards the lower end of the market. There are still a few other convertible tandems that you can pick up cheaper, such as the Hauck Duett 2 (£249) and the iSafe in line tandem (£250). The brand’s sister product – the 4-wheel Kids Kargo Duel DS Combi also comes in a little cheaper at £325. The vast majority of convertible tandems however, have a much higher price tag, such as the BabyStyle Hybrid (£550), Joolz Geo2 (£1095), Uppababy Vista (£1098), and the iCandy Peach Blossom (£895). This makes the Fitty Jogger Junior a really good-value option if you have two small children or twins.

Tested by:

Carolyn tested the Fitty Jogger Junior out and about with her 2 year old twin boy and girl. Living up in Yorkshire, they put the pushchair through its paces on park strolls, nursery runs, down old cobbled streets and along the canals.

First impressions of the Fitty Jogger Junior

My first thought was that it looked a lot more expensive than it is. The Fitty Jogger Junior is a stylish pushchair with a luxurious feel that’s not dissimilar to the Joolz Geo2, iCandy Peach Blossom and the Oyster Max.

I was also initially excited to see it had the word ‘jogger’ in its name, although this is confusing as the buggy is not actually suitable for running.

How does the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior compare to other double buggies you’ve used?

Comparing it with other tandem pushchairs that I’ve tried, the Fitty Jogger Junior is really spacious for the child sitting in the tandem/rear seat. You can also still store a few of your essentials in the basket – despite the basket doubling up as the child’s footwell.

When my twins were born, I had an Oyster Max, which was compact for me to push around but not much fun for the twins as they couldn’t see the world from the rear position. It was also difficult for me to get them in and out without hurting my back.

We switched to the Mountain Buggy Duet – which was our saviour – when the babies were 12 months old because they then refused to sit in the tandem seat. I was curious to see how they’d react to the Fitty Jogger Junior as this meant them switching from a side-by-side double, back to a tandem. And now they were older too.

We’d also tried the Micralite Twofold and found it similar to the Fitty Jogger Junior in that there’s space to see and move in the back seat, while still retaining some basket space. With other tandems such as the Oyster, the Joolz Geo2 and the Babystyle Hybrid, you lose most, or all of, the storage space.

Also like the Micralite Twofold, the Fitty Jogger Junior can be difficult to manoeuvre – unlike the Joolz Geo which is a dream to push and steer. It seems that extra space does comes at the cost of manoeuvrability.

The Joolz Geo and the Micralite Twofold also have a more compact and easier folding mechanism than this pushchair, but are considerably more expensive.

What age is the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior suitable for?

The carrycot can be used from birth and the main seat can be used until your child weighs 15kg (around 3-years-old). The tandem seat is suitable for babies from 6 months old to 15 kg.

Can the Fitty Jogger’s be used as a single pushchair?

Yes. I mainly used the pushchair as a tandem because I have twins, but I also tested it in the single seat configuration with just one of my children.

The main seat unit easily converts from a carrycot to a seat by fastening a few slips and poppers. The seat can then be forward facing or parent facing. The tandem seat is static and forward facing so your children can either face each other or both face forward. The main seat can also have a car seat attached.

How does the Fitty Jogger Junior fold?

I found the folding mechanism very clunky and awkward and I had to make sure my toddlers were well out of the way before I folded it.

There is a secondary folding lock that has to be pushed down before you can begin. You then lift a lever at either side of the frame and step back to guide it downwards and allow it to fold.

The front wheel would often get in the way of the fold and I had to manually twist it to enable the frame to lock into place. Once the buggy is locked, you need to stand it up against a wall otherwise it just flops onto the floor. You can only fold it with the main seat facing forward and have to remove the tandem seat completely.

How compact is it when folded and unfolded?

It certainly isn’t the biggest double pushchair that I’ve come across, but it’s still a little bulky. With the wheels on, the Fitty Jogger Junior is 68 cm wide, unfolded. This is 5 cm wider than my Mountain Buggy Duet – which is a side-by-side double! It’s also quite long at 112 cm. If it’s folded with the seat in place, then it’s very long, so it’s better to remove the seat first.

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

The boot of our Vauxhall Insignia is incredibly large so the buggy fits in easily. You do have to take the seat off though as it would be too long otherwise. To squeeze it into a much smaller boot, you could remove the wheels and bumper bar too.

How lightweight is the Fitty Jogger Junior?

As a tandem the Fitty Jogger weighs 19.4 kg, and without the rear seat it weighs 16.7 kgs – so it isn’t particularly lightweight. It’s also quite an awkward shape once folded so it can feel cumbersome lifting it in and out of the car, or up and down the stairs.

How easy is the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior to push?

The buggy is really easy to push on flat, even surfaces and you can manoeuvre it one-handed. However, if there’s the slightest slope off to the side, then it veers off in that direction. The frame feels quite flimsy and often wobbles on uneven surfaces. At times I felt that it might topple over if I turned too quickly.

I think that for the height and the length of the pushchair, it could probably benefit from having four wheels to make it a bit sturdier.

How did you find it on public transport?

To be honest, I didn’t try taking it on public transport. I was worried that if there wasn’t enough room for the pushchair then I would have the nightmare situation of struggling to fold it up with two toddlers running riot!

What do you think of the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior's wheels?

As it’s the first three-wheel pushchair that I’ve used with my children, I was intrigued to see how much it differs from a four-wheeler.

The wheels on the Fitty Jogger are puncture-proof, so it’s great that you can use it on different surfaces without worrying how they’d cope. I did find though that the single front wheel would sometimes have a mind of its own and get stuck in little gaps, such as cobbles. You can overcome this by locking the front wheel but then it’s much harder to turn. I also found that the front wheel gets in the way when folding the pushchair. Personally, I think I prefer a four-wheel pushchair.

Is the frame strong and durable?

Not really. The frame felt quite weak and wobbly, and it didn’t handle the combined weight of my twins particularly well (25kg). This is the main difference between the Fitty Jogger Junior and more expensive buggies, such as the Joolz Geo2.

Is the handlebar adjustable and comfortable to use?

I really like the tan, leatherette look handlebar and it has a nice, comfortable feel. The fact that it’s a single bar means that you can push it one-handed on flat surfaces if you need to.

The handlebar is adjustable so caters for pretty much any height. I’m 5’4” and my husband is 6’1” and we both found a suitable height position that was comfortable.

What do you think of the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior's carrycot and seat unit?

I really like how the seat unit converts easily from a carrycot to a junior seat. Once I figured out the instructions, it was very simple to switch. I wasn’t able to test the carrycot out as I have toddlers, but it looks super-comfortable for babies.

How many recline positions are there in the junior seat mode?

The main seat has three recline positions – sleep (lie flat), snooze (slightly reclined) and sitting up. I did find it quite difficult to recline the seat when my child was sat in it though. As soon as I pressed the buttons on either side of the frame it would jolt down with the weight and I even trapped my finger at one point. This might be easier with younger or lighter children.

You can also recline the tandem seat slightly with some helpful zips at the side but it isn’t possible to lie this seat flat.

How comfortable does the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior feel for your child?

Both seat units were very comfortable for my toddlers. My little girl often complains when she isn’t sat upright but she seemed to really like sitting in the main seat and didn’t moan at all!

How is interacting with your little ones when in the buggy?

You can have the main seat parent facing for easy interaction with your child. Once forward facing, it is a little trickier as the seat is so high, but there are some mesh panels on the hood so you can see them if you need to.

A bonus of the seat being so high is that you can also use it as a high chair if you stop to eat when out and about.

The tandem seat is great for interaction as you can easily see your child at all times. The seats can also be configured to face each other – so my toddlers could intact with each other, which was nice.

What do you think of the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior's hood?

Both hoods were great. The main seat hood has a large extension, breathable mesh panels and a visor that you can tuck in when you don’t need it. The tandem seat hood extends well for a tandem and provides enough protection from the elements.

How effective are the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior brakes?

I had no problems with the brakes. They work by pressing a simple pedal by the right wheel and were super-easy to put on and take off.

How easily can you access the basket and is it big enough to store everything you need?

The basket is huge – you could probably fit your kitchen sink in it! It does have a 5 kg weight limit so you can’t overload it, but you can certainly fit in all of your essentials for the day.

Once the tandem seat is added, the basket space also houses your child’s feet so you do lose a bit of space. I still managed to squeeze in a rather large Christmas present, but my 2-year-old boy kept kicking it until I took it out.

Can the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior with a car seat to create a travel system?

The top/main seat is compatible with the Kids Kargo Safety Pod, Maxi Cosi Pebble, Maxi Cosi Cabrio and Britax Baby safe. Only the Maxi Cosi car seats require adapters to be used.

How did you like the look of the Fitty Jogger Junior?

I think it’s a very stylish pushchair. I chose the Navy Tan colour, as it suits my taste, but there are other colour options available: black, red berry, raspberry and blueberry. It would be nice to see some more interesting patterns too – prints seems to be trending right now and Bugaboo and Cosatto have some really great styles on their pushchairs.

What’s in the box?

• Chassis frame
• Combi seat (carrycot convertible to full size seat unit) and extendable hood
• Tandem toddler seat with hood
• Leatherette handle and bumper bar
• Carrycot mattress and apron
• 3 x puncture-free wheels
• Instructions
• 2 x rain covers

Are there any additional extras that you need/can buy?

You can buy a matching changing bag for £30 and footmuffs for £35. If you’re using a Maxi Cosi car seat then you’ll need to get the adapters for £25.

Is it easy/hard to build the buggy?

The instructions that come with the buggy could be better and it took me a little while to figure them out. They’re not very clear and don’t seem to flow particularly well. Despite this, building the frame was fairly easy and only the wheels needed to be attached.

The main seat arrives ready to use as a carrycot, so I first had to convert it into a toddler seat. All it takes is a few simple clips and poppers and adjustment of the support bar for it to magically turn into a chair, instead of a lie-flat carrycot.

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the buggy?

That it has a mind of its own on slopes and when turning corners! You have to be extra vigilant on uneven surfaces and make sure that you always have both hands on the handle to prevent it from veering off or toppling over. This would be especially worrying if you’re using the carrycot and your baby isn’t strapped in.

Who would the Fitty Jogger Junior be most useful for?

It’s great for parents of a growing family who are on a tight budget but want the look of a luxury pushchair – without the price-tag.

What was your favourite feature of the Fitty Jogger Junior?

The convertible carrycot/toddler seat unit is very clever. Most pushchairs require either a whole new unit or a new fabric to be added in order to switch it.

How much does the Kids Kargo Fitty Jogger Junior cost and is this good value for money?

If you only need a single pushchair, then the cost is £259. For two children though, I’d say £349 is worth the price if you’re on a budget, as you do get bang for your buck.

MadeForMums verdict:

The Fitty Jogger Junior is a competitively priced tandem option and it really does have the look of a more expensive pushchair. However the frame is very flimsy and it certainly doesn’t have the strength or handle of high-end pushchairs such as the Joolz Geo2 and the iCandy Peach Blossom. There were times that it felt unsafe, even with only one child in tow, so because of this I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

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